The Washington critic., 1887-09-12
TOPICS OF THE DAY.


The following is from the MEN,
Women and Letters" column of the
Philadelphia Sunday Press: President
Cleveland. l hear, made special point
In going over the arrangements for his
stay here that he should "have
chance TO get at the people," Eveu
the Academy Of Music reception, Fri
day night, with the G,000 men aud
women and over, who will be present
and shake hands with him, struck him
as not quite Democratic enough, and
he wisely asked TO have 1t supple.
monted by a more public reception 10
be held Saturday morning, to which
anyone could go 'Hin his working
clothes" He was right. Nothing is
better In all the spare and sparse
etiquette which surrounds the PresI
dent than the pains which are still
taken to keep open the doors of ap
proach 10 the Chief Executive. Like
General Grant and unlike some of our
recent Presidents, President Cleveland,
far from shirking this general hand
shaking, is willing to stand any amount
of a most burdensome duty. He would
be the first to object, from all
learn of his expression of opinion, IL
any proposal was made to omit the
handshaklng as far as he Is concerned.
But think, too, and this little touch
Of solicitude on his part will come
home to every one, that he would be
glad TO spare Mrs. Cleveland all he can
of the strain and fatigue of Q 900 hand.
l.l, ILL ,,-1,, ~, ,,1I
or any one for that matter shake
hands with Mrs. President Cleveland?
With the President It Is a breach of
etiquette to do anything else. Nor
need any one fear Of missing him or
Mrs. Cleveland by coming late to the
reception on Friday evening Both
come. prepared to see the last of the
crowd away. Nor Is there need for
crush and crowd at 8 o'clock, when
the reception opens, and the more the
happy holders of invitations distribute
themselves through the hours from 8
on TO II the better for them and all
concerned.
~.
"What becomes of the old army mus
kets and uniforms when Uncle Sans
boys get through with theml" asked q
New York Mail and Erpress reporter
of o gentleman prominently connected
with Maiden Lane arms establishment
the other day. "That's rather broad
question and one that cannot be an
swered in moment. In the first place,
the worn. out clothing and arms nova
days don't amount to much, though
some of the latter are worth a triile.
Only when there Is an overproduction
does the Government sell Its rifles and
muske,s, and at the present time this
does not occur frequently. After the
war, however, the market was flooded
with this truck, purchased originally
by persons of speculative propensities,
who, falling to realize what they eX.
pected, sold 1t for almost nothing.
Some thought that the leather in the
belts and trappings might be used In
harness or sold to manufacturers of
steel for tempering, but the latter pre-.
ferred tan bark. You will oftentimes
see truckmen wearing regulation army
overcoats, and many people wonder
how they were obtained. Just as l
have told you; these coats were sold to
dealers In second hand garments, who
shipped them in quantities all over the
country to smaller concerns, by whom
they were sold at SO to S5 each. Now,
the old muskets, as you know, were
unwieldy affairs, very long and cum.
bersome, these we bought and do buy
to be cut down In the barrels and sold
to the country trade for just what they
are, mnzzle- loading guns, at anywhere
from $3.50 to S4 apiece
~.
Says the Philadelphia Press: George
w. Childs and James Russell Young
were walking along State House Row,
chatting as they went. Childs is the
older man, but he looks much the
youngest. His rosy cheeks are like
the bushes of schoolgirl of fourteen
or fifteen. His eye is us clear and
bright as 1t was twenty years ago, his
step Just as agile. His dress Is always
the same, and yet he looks as II his
clothes had Just come from the tailor's,
they are so spotless. He Is wonder
full man. The other man Is getting
stoop. shouldered and Is beginning to
look old. lie has wonderful smile, Il
warm hearty grasp and twinkling
eye that wins everybody.
~.
Nellie Grants daughter, little Vivian
Sartoris, is q beautiful child. Playing
on the beach at Long Branch with her
maid the other day, says the New York
Mail and Elpress, she was picture of
attractive childhood. delicate, quick
and intelligently American, rather than
robustly English. She Is not In the
least like her father, but inherts her
mothers eyes, brunette complexion
and sbapely hands, with n hint of Gen
eral Grant about the forehead and
rather prominent ears. Mrs. Sartoris
dresses her with great taste, and the
child is an unaffected, happy creature,
~.
A great many stories have been told
of Bishop Tuttlc, now of Missouri
Of his peculiar, yet manly way in his
dealings with the people of the far
West On one occasion, says a
Wyoming paper he had taken the
stage for Montana. There were four
passepgert-one lady, the bishop, and
a man whom We will call Mr.. Smith
on the inside, and commercial tour
ist on top with the driver, They had
been, perhaps, halliday on their
journey, when Mr., Smith reached down
into his pocket and brought forth Il
pipe and commenced smoking, The
smoke was very offensive to the lady
and II made her quite sick still Mr.